joewein.de LLC fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter! Free trial for 30 days

"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
• Support our efforts to stop scams!
  
• How to report 419 spam to us
• What can you do when you receive 419 spam
  
  
• Spam archive, Daily index
  

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "hundred thousand united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +2348025072565 (Nigeria, prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: "Gregory John" <gregoryjohn2000a@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: gregoryjohn@88.am
Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 15:38:43 +0000
Subject: YOURS FAITHFULLY

FROM THE DESK OF BARRISTER GREGORYJOHN & ASSOCIATES
44, KOFO ABAYOMI AVENUE,
VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS - NIGERIA.
Telephone:234-802-5072565.

Dear sir/Madam,

I am Barrister GREGORY JOHN, a Solicitor.I am the Personal Attorney to
Mr.William Adams,who used to work with Chevron Oil Development Company
in Nigeria.On the 17th of Nov, 1999, his wife and their three children were
involved in a Plane Crash along Ikorodu Express Road.Unfortunately, they all
lost their lives in the event of the Crash.
Since then I have made several enquiries to your Embassy to locate any
of my client relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these
several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his relatives over
the Internet to locate any member of his family but to no avail,hence,
I contacted you to assist in repatriating the money left behind by my
client in a City Express Bank Plc.Particularly, the City Express Bank Plc
where
the deceased deposited the US$10.5Million
(Ten Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars only).
Consequently, this Security Company issued me a notice to provide the
Next of Kin to claim the US$10.5Million (Ten Million Five Hundred Thousand
United States Dollars only)
in their custody.I have been unsuccessful in locating the
relatives for over 4 years now,I seek your consent to present you as
the next of kin of the deceased to claim the fund as the Next of Kin to him
so that the fund will be transferred to your account by the City Express
Bank
Plc.
Upon receipt of the fund, I will come over to your country to meet with
you for the disbursement of the fund and then you and I will share the
money in this order: 55% will be for me which I will invest on Estate
Business,40% will be for you, while 5% will be used on expenses
incurred.I have all the necessary legal documents that can back our
claim we may make with the City Express Bank Plc.
All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us see this deal
through.I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from All I require is your honest
co-operation to enable us see this deal through.
Please, get in touch with me via email to enable me clearify you
further.
Best regards.
Barrister GREGORY JOHN(Esq).
Telephone:234-802-5072565.


--

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam